Posted by Haagen P. Cumlet

Members of District 3650, Seoul, Korea, called out appeals for blood donation to passers-by in a campaign to gather blood  donors at Seoul Plaza in front of the City Hall.

District 3650 started a blood donation campaign in 2005 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary  of Rotary  International, says  Young-KooPark,  chair of  the   International Service  Committee,  Seoul  Joongang Rotary Club  and  chair  of  the  district's    Blood Donation Service Committee for 2006-08.

 

The  district's  blood donor  drive  runs for  a  period  of six-seven  months at a   time in conjunction  with  the Korean Red Cross.   Young-Koo Park   says,  that  the   clubs  are  encouraged  to   participate in   the  blood  donation  program  at the  monthly meetings with the  ADG's (Assistant District Governors),  each  of  whom has six-seven clubs. The district has 86 clubs with about 2,850 members.

 

Since the start ,  the blood   donor  drive in District 3650, covering the   northern  part ofSeoul, hasgrown rapidly, the statistics show:   

 

 

Year

Participants

Actual donors

Ration

2005

556

264

47.7%

2006

5,106

3,674

71.9%

2007

5,274(Till July 11th)

3,697

70.1%

2007 Target

9,500(Till Dec. 31st)

6,600

70%

 

According to the 2006-07  District Governor, Soon Pyo Chyun,  South  Korea  has  had to import blood every year, adding that "we want to have a strong leadership on blood donation." In 2005, South Korea imported blood for the amount of 29 million US dollars and for 29.7 million dollars worth of blood in 2006


 

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